


Light at the End of the Tunnel

by sleepismyfriend



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005), Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-27
Updated: 2010-08-27
Packaged: 2017-10-11 06:38:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/109536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepismyfriend/pseuds/sleepismyfriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is something he can fix, and he's not taking no for an answer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light at the End of the Tunnel

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after events of BFA: The Gathering.

He sat in the second red booth closest to the door, sipping a bitter cup of coffee and waiting for her to arrive. Amy and Rory hadn't minded scooting off and doing something while he did this, even though both of them asked if he wanted them to come along with him. He had declined their offer, choosing instead to go it alone.

He had however, warned them about doing or saying anything that may involve future events. They may be from 2010 and seen various parts of time and space, but on Earth in 2006 there was more than enough trouble for them to get into. He figured Rory was dense enough that they could keep their conversation with the people around them to simple things like the weather.

Amy was a bit more complicated, hence why he gave his warning. He made sure to give them enough money to do whatever they wanted in Sydney for the afternoon, and then pushed them in the direction of the nearest tourist attraction.

Tegan was definitely going to be more complicated than Amy, he thought to himself.

After hundreds of years, he had sent Tegan a message requesting a meeting at a specific time and place. He was just hoping that she received the message and it wasn't lost somewhere in the Vortex. He would have to make it a point to check the communications array once they were back onboard the TARDIS.

"Doctor, what an unusual but pleasant surprise." She entered the diner, her handbag dropping from her shoulder to her hands as she stepped into his sight, and he felt his breath catch before he smiled.

"Hello, Tegan," he said, motioning to the seat across from him. "It is good to see you. Please, please come have a seat."

"Meeting people out in broad daylight under normal circumstances?" She took her seat, pushing her handbag to the side. "Didn't know you were one for lunch dates, unless of course, you're here because aliens are invading the Earth and in which case, I appreciate the warning but I'd much prefer to go home and bury my head under my pillow before being blown up."

"Glad to know you at least appreciate the warning." He smiled.

"It wasn't that long ago, that you were, you know--" She made a circle with her finger at him. He knew that she was thinking of her Doctor, the one in the cricket jacket that she had seen several months prior.

"Well now, it's been quite a while for me." The Doctor leaned his elbows on the table as the waitress walked up with her order pad out, and without missing a beat, looked up and ordered for the both of them. "Two coffees, please. Black. Mine's a bit cold."

He pushed the cup towards her, and she walked away with it in her hands as he turned his attention back to Tegan.

"I got your message." Tegan leaned forward as well, crossing her hands in front of her. "This morning, in fact. Do you know how many meetings I had to clear because of you? My receptionist was fit to be tied and now I'm booked solid the rest of the week. Michael's going to hate me."

"Yes, yes, I apologize." The Doctor waved his hands about. He would definitely have to check the communications array now. "In my own defence, I did try to get it to you earlier than this morning, but we got stuck on this mud planet thanks to Rory, and it clogged the TARDIS's everything and was a bit—Yeah, I'll kick myself later if you'd like."

From the smirk on Tegan's face, she was amused by his apology.

"So, now that we've gotten that out of the way, you want to tell me why you're in Sydney?" She leaned back, crossing her arms. "All of the cosmos, and you choose here?"

"I made a mistake once." The Doctor kept his eyes on Tegan, but traced several circles in the table. The repetitive motion was soothing to his nerves, and gave him the edge that he needed so that Tegan didn't just ignore what he was saying. "And, I always meant to come back and rectify it, but this and that happened. Quite a lot, actually. But, I'm here now, in hopes of you letting me fix it. You know what I'm talking about."

Tegan looked away and downward, letting out a deep sigh as the waitress brought their cups of coffee and the Doctor looked up again. "Thank you."

Tegan watched the waitress once again walk away, and reached for the cup of coffee in front of her, placing her hands on both sides of it. She was silent for several moments, and the Doctor just waited for her to speak.

"I don't need you to fix that, Doctor. I've made my peace with it, and it's fine." She stared at the coffee cup before he reached across the table and put his hand on her wrist, which caused her to look at him.

"Knowing your friends die prematurely when there is something you can do about it is not fine, Tegan." His voice lowered, and Tegan saw the depth and intensity of his eyes staring back at her. "There are so many things in the universe that I can't stop or can't fix, but this is one of the few things I can because I'm the cause of it."

"I never asked you to fix me." Her voice was small. "Not when you were the other you, and not now."

"You never had to," he said. "Because either me, I would have done it without question, because you're my friend, and that accounts for something. Think of all the things that you still have left to do in this universe. Including badger various past and future forms of me."

The Doctor smiled, and while this was not her Doctor, she found a comfort and warmth in his smile that she hadn't expected as he pulled back.

"I bet you say that to all your companions." She picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip from it.

"Only the special ones." The Doctor smiled. "And since all of you have to be special to even ride in my TARDIS, well then, yeah, I suppose you could say that."

He noticed her sudden wince, as one of her hands came up to rub one side of her temples as her eyes closed. "How bad are they? The headaches, I mean."

"Fairly awful." She reopened her eyes, and then sighed as she leaned her head on her hand. "Yet another reason I'm booked solid, I'm afraid. Some mornings, I just can't even get out of bed. Takes hours for my head to subside and even then Michael has to keep all the blinds in the house closed."

"Right then, we best not waste any time." The Doctor reached into his pockets, pulling a few bills out and setting them on the table. He then stood up and came around the table before holding his hand out. "And I'm not taking no for an answer this time. You can yell at me later for killing that alien tumour in your head and saving your life. C'mon."

Tegan took his hand and stood, grabbing her handbag as he led her out of the diner and towards the TARDIS. She paused right outside of it, and he squeezed her hand before looking at his ship. "Don't worry, we're not going to lift off. She promises to behave."

He tapped the side of the police box, and Tegan had her doubts.

"We'll see, Doctor."


End file.
